The Collagist reviews THE MISADVENTURES OF SULLIVER PONG

The Collagist reviews THE MISADVENTURES OF SULLIVER PONG

“Much like a floating signifier in semiotics, the true soul of Leland Cheuk’s The Misadventures of Sulliver Pong is always shifting and impossible to pin down. The narrative is an emotionally gritty look at familial relationships that are anchored in chaos and deceit as well as an exploration of Otherness in the context of a Chinese/Chinese-American family that has already spent several generations in the United States. However, the novel is also a hilarious tale about a man whose cowardice and overpowering father force him into something that will change his life forever. Last but not least, the novel deals with a plethora of themes like loyalty, prostitution, loneliness, friendship, and politics. The result is a deep, entertaining tragicomedy that touches on various generations and proves that, regardless of what migration can do for a family, the worst thing that can happen to it is a lack of love, support, honesty, and understanding.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A MacDowell Colony Fellow, Leland Cheuk authored the novel THE MISADVENTURES OF SULLIVER PONG (CCLaP, 2015) and the story collection LETTERS FROM DINOSAURS (Thought Catalog, 2016). His work has been covered in VICE, The Millions, and The Rumpus, and has appeared or is forthcoming in publications such as Salon, Catapult, Kenyon Review, Prairie Schooner, and elsewhere. He is the fiction editor at Newfound Journal. He lives in Brooklyn.